Radiation Belt Storm Probes：A New Mission for Space Weather Forecasting.pdf

SPACE WEATHER, VOL. 5, S11002, doi:10.1029/2007SW000341, 2007 Radiation Belt Storm Probes: A New Mission for Space Weather Forecasting Geoffrey D. Reeves Published 2 November 2007. Citation: Reeves, G. D. (2007), Radiation Belt Storm Probes: A New Mission for Space Weather Forecasting, Space Weather, 5, S11002, doi:10.1029/2007SW000341. During the last solar cycle a dramatic change in our un- atomic displacement damage, and even nuclear activation of derstanding of the Earth’s radiation belts took place. Rather materials. than the slowly varying, well-understood region described in As space systems become increasingly sophisticated and most textbooks, the radiation belts were found to be highly costly, the success of new space-based enterprises will hinge dynamic and full of new surprises. For example, for reasons on improved reliability and better, more cost-effective design. that are still not well understood, the fluxes of relativistic elec- Under-designing systems leads to increased risk but overde- trons throughout the belts will suddenly increase or decrease signing leads to reduced capability or performance when re- by factors of 100 or more. In addition, new, transient radiation sources are limited—and resources are always limited. Just belts were observed to form in regions where radiation belt as current theoretical understanding is captured in state-of- particles are normally scarce. Such observations challenged the-art physics models, best practices for space systems en- earlier theories of radiation belt physics, prompting scientists gineering are captured in radiation belt specification mod- to reevaluate existing space weather models and search for els. The c